The shows we watch and the books we read on weekends or at the end of our work days often reveal our most profound desires. At that time, we are under no external compulsion nor incentive. Instead, we pursue what we see as worthy of our time. This leisure time has continued to increase as machines become more efficient and jobs more specialized. Now, more than ever in human history, more people have more time to read, watch, and listen to whatever we so choose. Netflix, Elena Ferrante novels, classic films, YouTubers, or even Aristotle emerge as candidates of our time here. This seminar will explore the types, contexts, and motivations of leisure in its various manifestations. Ultimately, we will ask: what is leisure for?
Meets Tuesdays, 10/19, 10/26, 11/02, 11/09, 6:30 pm -7:45pm
Led by James Prather, MA (Creative Writing, Northwestern)
Readings will include:
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, X.7
Henry James, “Art of Fiction”
Jacques Maritain’s Art and Scholasticism (selections)
